Most modelers will at least be aware, if not entirely familiar, with the long-running Achievement Program of the NMRA. (I myself recently achieved the Master Model Railroader (MMR) position, as I described in a recent post: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2024/10/personal-master-model-railroader-772.html ). This post is not about that.
Instead, in this post, I want to describe a new program being put forward by the Operations Special Interest Group (OpSIG) of NMRA, a program aimed at achievements in operating, whereas the parent NMRA program is primarily about model- and layout-building skills. It’s true that the NMRA program has a category called “Dispatcher,” but it doesn’t really demand literal dispatching skills. OpSIG has set out to offer a broader program about a whole range of serious operating skills, and contributions to this part of the hobby.
If you visit the OpSIG website (at: https://www.opsig.org/ ), you can scroll down to “What’s New” and you will find a mention of the Achievement Program; or you can see the scope of the program directly, by going to the website which has been set up for the program (it is located at: https://opsig-ap.org/ ). You can watch an introductory video if you wish — it’s quite informative about the goals of the program — but is some 20 minutes long. You might wish to begin by browsing the screens of the website before sitting down with the video.
There are at present 12 areas of achievement, with a 13th under development, such as Host (of operating sessions), Author (of published materials about operation), and Boomer (about participating in operating sessions on layouts other than your own). None of these achievements require any subjective judgement by officials of an applicant, but simply a presentation of accomplishments.
As shown on the website, several accomplished model railroaders have consented to serve on a Board of Trustees (I was asked to be among them), and they have contributed to the development of this program. The chairman of the program is Paul B. Weiss, also a current member of the OpSIG Board.
I’ve submitted my documentation for several of the categories. When you are approved, you get rather promptly a certificate, shown below. (I might mention, as an MMR, that this is in stark contrast to the NMRA process, in which acknowledgement and certificates wind through several individuals and can readily take months. ) Here’s an example of a certificate.
You also receive, in what some may find odd or amusing, a button for each category. I know that there was some debate behind the scenes about this when the program was developing. Even though some would feel that wearing a button like this in public is terminally uncool, there are plenty of others who would be proud to do so. I think it will be interesting to see whether the wearing of buttons does become something you see at operating sessions. Here’s the button for the category above. It’s about 1.5 inches in diameter.
I personally feel that this program really is an overdue recognition that operation is the hobby that follows building a layout (answering the question, “Now, what’s it for?”), or for the enthusiast of real railroad jobs and operations, or even for the model builder who now gets to see those models in use.
For too long, it’s kind of been the “underground” part of the hobby for those who don’t participate in it, because the magazines we all read can’t portray it very well. They love to show the spectacular scenery, and rarely even mention operation, when presenting layouts. It’s understandable, they are a visual medium, but it means that operation has often “flown under the radar” in model railroading.
I think it’s possible that this new OpSIG Achievement Program can help change that. As a person who greatly enjoys operation, and would like more modelers to discover it, I certainly hope so. I’d urge you to check out the website (again, it’s at: https://opsig-ap.org/ ) and see if it appeals to you.
Tony Thompson
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